The present invention relates generally to ironing and drawing mechanisms for the production of the container portions of two-piece containers.
The art for making cans and containers through such a method is well known in the art and various prior art patents exist which disclose the same. Various of these patents include stuctural mechanisms for maintaining ironing dies and stripper dies of such apparatus in floating fashion and in self-centering fashion.
Certain prior art patents applicable to the self-centering concept include patents to Maeder, U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,512; Schaffer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,237; and, British Pat. No. 724,251.
The patent to Maeder does include a plurality of biasing members which act directly upon the periphery of a die retaining member and this patent further illustrates the concept of the stripper die assembly being radially floatable and being brought into a centering position through the use of biasing members.
In contrast to Maeder, which illustrates the pertinent art, applicant's concept provides radially floatable ironing dies and guiding members wherein pairs of such members, such as an ironing die and a guiding die, may be arranged in side-by-side fashion axially along the path of the punch and container being drawn, and wherein a centering force is applied to such side-by-side members through a pin element which is radially biased and which contacts the entire longitudinal dimension of the die housing ring containing the members. With the applicant's concept, then, the centering force is applied entirely along the longitudinal dimension of the die-carrying rings and the equality of action prevents any cocking of either the ring or the individual members upon the recentering action. This arrangement, then, provides a uniformity of centering force to the tool-bearing ring element and this same concept is utilized on the stripper die assembly wherein the biasing force is properly distributed along the longitudinal dimension of the stripper die housing member.
A basic problem in ironing containers is the possible misalignment and jamming that results from misalignment of the ram and carried container with respect to the dies. With the applicant's invention the dies are properly centered upon the removal of the exterior force of the ram and carried container.
It is therefore an object of the applicant's invention to provide a tool pack assembly for the drawing and ironing of containers which includes means for automatic centering of the ironing and guiding dies when external forces are removed therefrom.
It is a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a tool pack assembly which permits the arrangement of ironing and guiding dies in axially adjacent position wherein a centering force is simultaneously applied thereto and is similarly applied along the entire longitudinal dimension of the combination.
It is still a further object of the applicant's invention to provide automatic centering for dies of a tool pack assembly for the re-drawing and ironing of containers wherein a plurality of individual biasing members are provided with each of the individual members including an independent biasing structure acting against a single element which extends the entire longitudinal dimension of either a single die-holding element of a multiple die structure.
These and other objects and advantages of the applicant's invention will more fully appear from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and disclosure made in connection with such drawings.